Sideswipe: September 3: Good start to the day

Letter to Miss Manners, Washington Post, August 2013. "I am in my mid-50s, and one of my sisters is in her early 60s. She recently emailed me an invitation to her 'wedding' to her female partner. They have lived together for about 19 years. I have no intention of attending. My quandary is how to decline the invitation. I want to be honest. I want to be polite. I see no way to be politely honest. If I try to be polite and lie, then wouldn't good manners require me to send a gift? I don't see how I can be honest and not upset her. Should I just ignore the email, remain silent and ignore the invitation?" Response by That Bad Advice (the blog that likes to tell advice column letter writers exactly what they want to hear): "I see no reason to be polite to someone who has the gall to 'marry' another consenting human being, and to compound their own rudeness by wishing to include family members in this brash display of moral turpitude. This is probably just a phase your 60-year-old sister has been going through for 19 years and if she doesn't hear your vociferous disapproval, she could turn into a lesbian."

Taste of coffee turns sour

A reader writes: "In this day and age when every 21-year-old is set up in their flats, three aunties decided to do something a little different. We had our parents' old mahogany bed ends that were given to them 52 years ago for a wedding present made into a coffee table. On Saturday we were driving along State Highway 2 near Domain Rd, Papamoa with this mahogany and macrocarpa coffee table, to personally deliver to our niece, when it fell off the trailer. When we realised it had fallen off, we went back to look for it and met it coming the other way on top of the roof of a bright green SUV. But by the time we had turned around the SUV had gone, with our very special coffee table!"

'Digital detox' for $14,000

A Pennsylvania psychiatric hospital will become the first of its kind to offer a programme for internet addicts. The psychologist who founded the 10-week voluntary programme at Bradford Regional Medical Centre said the problem was more pervasive than alcohol. "The internet is free, legal and fat free," he said. The programme costs $14,000 and starts with a 72-hour "digital detox". Patients then learn ways to keep their internet usage to a minimum in daily life and avoid using addictive applications. (Source: Newser.com)

Picture this #2: Maybe this capsicum saw a mate of his was going for $7.19 each at a Christchurch New World last week...

Video: In 1953 the BBC made a time-lapse of a train trip between London and Brighton. They recreated it in 1983 and again this year. You can see all three time-lapses-spanning 60 years-in this side by side video.